Features

The best resources to support teaching

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has recently updated its Code of Practice after finding out what assurances schools want when buying products and services. Cleo Fatoorehchi shares what standards BESA’s members must meet

As a school leader, the beginning of the school year is always slightly hectic. New and old teachers to work in harmony, new positions to fill, new children to welcome, new parents to reassure, and so on. On top of that, budgets are tight, after years of economic downturn and the uncertainty of Brexit. So how to ensure teachers have access to the best resources to support them?

As a trade association covering the entirety of the UK educational suppliers sector, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has been working with world-leading education companies for over 80 years.

This experience has given BESA a concrete understanding of how much school resources play a crucial role in helping pupils learn and teachers teach.

BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE

To bring learning to life, teachers need the right pedagogical equipment at their disposal: literature, textbooks and teaching aids.

Importantly for the 21st century classroom, pupils must have access to the unprecedented learning opportunities that the digital world provides. And teachers and schools should have access to the rich data that is consequently generated to shine a light on a student’s performance in innovative new ways.

With around 400 UK suppliers, BESA can promise schools that its members will be able to supply what they are looking for. Whether schools are after general equipment, science materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware or EdTech, BESA members have the answer.

Moreover, BESA members uphold high standards. When becoming BESA members, they commit to offering the best value for money to schools to help them deliver a world-leading education to children, with the best of British educational resources.

A NEW CODE OF CONDUCT

Indeed, BESA members agree to BESA’s Code of Practice, which now includes issues such as safeguarding and data security. With it, BESA can assure schools of the high-quality products and services that its members provide schools with and of the high standards of education that its members want to help schools deliver.

As such, schools can trust BESA members because they provide high-quality products and services. They are dedicated to offering the best quality of educational products and services to schools and other educational institutions. They work with teachers and educational experts to ensure their goods support children’s development and best respond to their educational needs.

BESA members value their integrity. They work to guarantee that their products and services are in the best interests of children, teachers and other stakeholders.

BESA members are open and transparent. They believe that being open with schools helps develop stronger relationships. They do not disguise the truth and are clear about their costs and charges.

BESA members guarantee data security. They are aware of and trained in safeguarding issues, which is paramount when working with children – especially in the digital age. They are therefore very careful when it comes to data security and are getting ready for the new GDPR regulations, which will enter into force in May 2018.

HELPING PURCHASING DECISIONS

Thanks to BESA’s Code of Practice, making procurement decisions does not need to be a stressful time. Recognising the BESA logo as a mark of high level of quality and service, teachers and school leaders can be sure that they are working with education companies who are as dedicated to providing high-quality education to children as they are. And they can be confident they are spending wisely, while working with world-leading education companies.

Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA, said: “Schools have long looked for the BESA logo when deciding which companies to procure from, as it is a clear indication that they are providing quality products and services that they can trust.”
“The updated Code of Practice reflects BESA members’ desire to ensure they are always at the forefront of offering the highest quality of products and services to schools around the world, and providing a world‑class customer experience.”